Indianapolis Colts cheerleader Jada Watson teaches local Baumholder youth at a cheer clinic on Smith Barracks, Germany. (Kat Nickola)
The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders spent the day at Baumholder on Nov. 17, 2026. Hosted by Armed Forced Entertainment (AFE), the team has been in Europe for a few weeks, bringing energy and entertainment to military servicemembers and their families at bases across Germany.
AFE brings entertainment to the U.S. military overseas in order to boost morale, strengthen resilience and provide a connection to American culture. The six Colts cheerleaders on this tour volunteered for the team and took time off from their regular full-time jobs to visit. They have done performances and meet-and-greet sessions around Germany.
Colts cheerleader Kinsley Barclay watches the local Baumholder CYS cheerleader performances with youth from the area. (Kat Nickola)
Jada Watson has been on the Colts cheer team for six years. This is her second tour with AFE, and she finds events with military kids to be most rewarding, especially providing “those little moments that can stick for the rest of their lives.”
In the morning, the team joined with soldiers from a local unit to participate in their PT session where they got a kick out of the tire training exercises. Later, the team had lunch at the DFAC and expressed how much they love bringing a piece of home to the U.S. military bases.
Their evening at Baumholder focused on military kids as the team hosted a cheer clinic for over 50 ecstatic youth in the Hall of Champions gym. Cheerleader Allison Broadhurst, who is also on her second AFE tour, said that working with the kids is one of her favorite things: “It is so incredible to see their confidence by the end.”
Baumholder CYS cheerleader Jolia Romani picks up her shirt at the AFE Colts cheerleader’s cheer clinic event held at the Hall of Champions gym at Smith Barracks, Baumholder, Germany. (Kat Nickola)
Both Watson and Broadhurst had high hopes for the Baumholder event since it was the location “with the most energy” on last year’s tour.
And, in the gym, the excitement was high.
Young cheerleaders were divided into three age groups and taught a cheer-dance routine. They began with stretches and warmups before tackling their performance step-by-step.
Each age group learned a routine customized for their learning level.
Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders Laura Perry and Allison Broadhurst instruct the youngest local cheerleaders at a cheer clinic on Smith Barracks, Baumholder, Germany. (Kat Nickola)
Baumholder Child and Youth Services (CYS) cheerleading teams made up roughly one-third of the kids in attendance.
“It’s a unique experience to get to cheer with NFL cheerleaders. I was a cheerleader in high school, but I never got an experience like that and would have loved to,” says coach Elizabeth Bartter who brought her team to the event.
After 40 minutes, students had the opportunity to show off their new skills and growing confidence to an audience of parents on the gym bleachers. Each of the three performances were full of excited and energetic kids.
Indianapolis Colts cheerleader Laura Perry teaches the youngest military kids at a cheer clinic held on Smith Barracks, Baumholder, Germany. (Kat Nickola)
Two of the Baumholder CYS cheerleading teams also had the opportunity to perform routines for the audience and the Colts cheerleaders.
CYS coach Julia Powell encouraged her team to attend. “I wanted to give them a chance to take what they’ve learned all season and practiced all season and let them show it off to people and be proud of everything they’ve done.”
Baumholder CYS cheerleader teams attended the Indianapolis Colts cheerleader evening clinic at Smith Barracks, Germany. (Kat Nickola)
Following the youth showcase, the Colts cheerleaders donned their uniforms for a short performance, especially for their young pupils and families. Excitement hit a peak when Blue, the Colts’ mascot, joined the cheerleaders in the gym for some interactive fun and giveaways.
From Baumholder, the Pro Blitz AFE tour with the Colts cheerleaders has three more stops before heading home to Indianapolis. To find out about other AFE events coming near you, visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com.
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